Saturday, May 07, 2011

Vintage Vogue 9523 - complete!


I thought I'd start off with a bang and show a lovely photo!  Here's the pattern photo, in case you missed the in progress post:
I made very few changes to the bodice pattern, a small FBA and measuring it against another vintage sundress bodice that fits me well to adjust width.  I was worried about how widely-set the straps were.  And sure enough...they were too wide.  Falling off my shoulders too wide!  I compensated for that by making two little tucks in the front square neck:


Now it just looks like a design feature.  It does create a bit of a horizontal wrinkle from my underarm, but I can live with that.  I wish I had saved scraps of my fabric to make a tiny bias tube bow.  Do you think a solid bow would look bad?  

The straps sit much better with the little tucks though.  With the right bra, no straps showing!  I also changed the skirt to a full gathered skirt.  With my super high hips jutting out immediately after my waist, those a-line skirts are a real bear for me to get to hang right.  I love the gathered skirt though!


The fabric is a pink & orange & coral tropical print lawn from Fashion Fabrics Club.  The entire dress is fully lined in pink Imperial batiste.  I sort of winged the lining & attaching the strap part, since the dress pattern calls for facings.  I ended up making two bodices and leaving openings to insert the straps later.  Then I followed the pattern directions from that point forward for attaching the straps. 


The batiste underskirt (lining) makes the skirt just poufy enough.


The cardigan is from Old Navy and is the perfect coral color.  It's just a tad too long (as are most ON cardi's!)  

There's a center-back zip and a hook & eye:



I did have a pink invisible zipper, I'm just leery of putting them in.  Even though a sewing angel sent me the correct foot!  I think it's  a mental block. 

It has a super deep hem, nearly 5 inches!


Perfect summer dress. :)  


Except for the fact that, you know, after I went to all the trouble to ensure I was laying all of the pattern pieces in one direction to cut out...  The entire dress' print is UPSIDE DOWN!  

I just had to laugh because I've been staring at and/or stitching on this dress for two weeks and never once noticed.  I'm glad.  I probably wouldn't have finished it and I love it!  I'm going to wear it, upside down or not!


Happy Saturday!

43 comments:

  1. Story of my life ... upside down or backwards ;-)

    I love it! Very cute retro dress~

    ps - Happy Mother's Day!

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  2. Your dress looks lovely! The coral is very pretty.

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  3. It's beautiful on you, and that pink is perfect for summer. Such a sweet little dress :)

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  4. Angie - I love it. I don't think it's upside down at all - it's a deliberate design feature so the design is the right way up when you look down. (at least that's what I tell myself when I do that.)

    Enjoy the dress - it's beautiful. g

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  5. So gorgeous, and I started at all the pictures and didn't notice it was upside down. I did that once with some PJs. Ooops, Elmo was doing headstands!

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  6. This is beautiful!! I love everything about it and you look awesome in it!

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  7. this is BEAUTIFUL! upside down? says who?

    word verification: sundestr. what you get when you mix a vintage sundress with bits of ACTUAL SUN, as you have so deftly done here.

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  8. Oh my gosh, SO funny! I would never have noticed!

    The nice thing is, people are so unused to handmade clothes that they will HAVE to assume you bought it that way and therefore it was an aesthetic choice.

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  9. Upside down? Who can tell? Not me!

    This dress is just WONDERFUL on you!

    "It has a super deep hem, nearly 5 inches!"

    There's your bows. ;-)

    I'm currently struggling with wide straps on a dress I'm making. They are driving me CRAZY and I'm still in the muslin stage. I just can't get them right. Urgh. And I already know I'll never wear it w/o something over even if the straps are perfect, so I really should just get over it and start already.

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  10. Miriam in KS12:41 PM

    I agree with gMarie...deliberate, I tell ya, deliberate! ;)

    What a beautiful dress!

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  11. That turned out seriously cute. I think once you do an invisible zipper you're going to kick yourself because they are super easy!

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  12. Anonymous1:03 PM

    Gorgeous. Great look on you!

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  13. Lovely, and you look fabulous!

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  14. Adorable dress, such a pretty print: perfect for summer, and I can't tell the print is upside down from the pics. No one but you will know.

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  15. That dress is so cute! That is too funny that you didn't realize it was upside down. Looking at the pictures I wouldn't have ever realized that it was upside down. :]

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  16. I would never have known it was upsidedown if you hadn't said. This is fabulousity. Just the right combo of underskirt and deep hem to make it hang nicely.

    re: Evil ON cardigans... is it possible to cut it down to a short jacket length?? Like, maybe do something with the hem? Because that would be awsomeness.

    I don't know what you were whining about last week, this is TOTALLY WEARABLE. I expect you to wear it, missy.

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  17. This is lovely! I didn't notice it was upside down until you said! Totally something I would do too!

    Fabulous pattern too, would be a good one to run up in a few colours/prints to last you all summer long :)

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  18. I LOVE YOUR DRESS! I am so into summer, florals, and dresses, and your dress fits all 2 descriptions.

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  19. How very cute. Nice job on the save with the tucks.

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  20. It's gorgeous! You really do look fantastic in it too! I like the fabric you chose. I am a sucker for orange and pink, and I think the style of print suits the dress as well.

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  21. Such a lovely dress and it looks so good on you!

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  22. You look so pretty in this dress. I hope you wear it a lot. I would steal some bow making fabric from the hem too, 5 inches is DEEP!

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  23. So gorgeous and summery! I am very jealous!!
    ~Alana

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  24. Very, very very nice. So summery and feminine! Fit looks great, too.

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  25. I came over from Sew Retro just to tell you my first reaction, before I even read the post: you look ADORABLE in that! Well done!

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  26. This looks gorgeous on you- I love it! The fabric is lovely and if you hadn't mentioned it, I wouldn't have noticed the direction. Just keep rocking it!

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  27. Looks lovely!!I spend ages trying to get prints to match up and the other day I bought a vintage 50's dress with the skirt half of the pattern going one way and the bodice half going the other.Unless you look it is not noticeable and I am sure this is true in most cases so don't worry.
    I love invisible zips and use them whenever I can and I don't even have the right foot for my machine.

    All in all a very nice dress!!

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  28. Very pretty dress - love the summery retro feel to it.

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  29. awesome dress! Love the print - also love the hanging in the tree shot!

    I've shortened cardigans. I've used two methods - stabilize with fusible tricot at your new hem location, cut, then fashion a new waistband OR serge, leaving an intentional lettuce edging effect. The second method's easier with a nice finish but frillier. I HATE too long cardi's on me!

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  30. You look beautiful!

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  31. If you could be any cutier I don't know how. Love the dress. The cardigan makes the outfit.

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  32. I'm in love with it!

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  33. You are beautiful in that dress, upside down or not. Humm-you could do handstands while wearing it, if you want the print right-side up!

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  34. Anonymous10:10 PM

    Gorgeous fabric made into a beautiful dress that looks super on you.

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  35. Like many before me, I wouldn't have noticed the print is upside down because you look so great. The print is right if you look down at it while wearing it!

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  36. You look beautiful in that outfit . Your dress is perfect.

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  37. Absolutely wonderful job, even if it is upside down!

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  38. You can totally mail that to me now! It's adorable! I have the same hip problem...sigh...

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  39. Just stubbled upon your blog, through your Pushing Daisies collages. Your new summer dress as well as your blog is fantastic!

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  40. So pretty! the colour is divine on you... :-)

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  41. That dress is so pretty and you look great in it.

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  42. Planning to try this pattern sometime soon, loved your photos! And your blog is very well designed... Great!

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